Steven Henry (né Steven D’Amico) has illustrated several popular picture books for children, including The Hanukkah Hop! and the award-winning Ella The Elegant Elephant. As a veteran art director he has also worked closely with educational consultants and producers at Nick Jr., PBS Kids and The Disney Channel. His workshop curriculum is designed to help kids become better communicators by showing them how to use pictures to help tell their stories.

What Can I Make With Shapes? (K-2)Early reader sessions focus on basic drawing skills. Opening with a story time reading, Steve follows up by showing how he creates his characters from the simplest of shapes. Volunteers are invited up front to draw their own shapes, which Steve then transforms into surprise creatures and objects. Once their imagination has been sparked, the group is given a special shared drawing assignment.

Storytelling With Pictures (3-5)The session for grades 3-5 also begins with a reading. From there, however, the presentation focuses on progressive visual storytelling rather than drawing mechanics. After sharing some examples of stories without words, Steve gives the group a choice of three different story ideas to tell with pictures. When the assignment is completed, volunteers are selected to share their work and the results are discussed.

Lights, Camera... Story! (6-12)The advanced workshop for middle and high school students approaches things a bit differently. This age group has generally moved on from picture books, but there is still a keen interest in other forms of visual storytelling. Graphic novels and movies use many of the same principles found in children’s books. Using examples and live sketches, Steve discusses some of the fundamental tools and techniques that help illustrators tell their stories with pictures.

Full-day school engagements may include up to four separate 1-hour workshop presentations. Sessions may be tailored to fit your school’s curriculum needs upon request.

Events for grown-ups

Presentations geared toward adult audiences are also available. These multi-media events tend to run a bit longer, usually between 80-90 minutes. Currently there are two presentations being offered in 2015 for older audiences:

No Talking Animals, PleaseA look at the creative collaboration, concessions and kismet that took the story of a talking elephant from home printer to television. Steven discusses his early experiences as an illustrator and his role as a consultant on the Disney Junior series Ella The Elephant.

Telling Stories With PicturesWhat's the difference between art and illustration? What should an illustration show and what should it not show? Steven explores the craft of book illustration and visual storytelling with examples, demonstrations and stories. Character design, storyboarding, and collaboration are some of the topics covered in this presentation.

For more event information and rates, please contact Michele Kophs at (360) 597-3432.

Steve was so thoughtful in tailoring his presentation to meet the needs of our students. His illustrations are amazing!

All the images used in this template are the property of Vasuma and used with permission.

Steven Henry

A showcase for the children's book illustration work of Steven Henry. Published titles include Ella The Elegant Elephant, Suki The Very Loud Bunny, The Hanukkah Hop, It's Raining Bats & Frogs, and A Lucky Author Has A Dog. The site also includes a blog devoted to the illustration production process and other topics related to visual storytelling.